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Sample/Pre-Board Paper 20
Class X Term 1 Exam Nov -Dec 2021
English Language and Literature (Code 184)

Time Allowed : 90 Minutes Maximum Marks : 40

General Instructions :
1. The Question Paper contains THREE sections.
2. Section A-READING has 18 questions. Attempt a total of 14 questions, as per specific instructions for each
question.
3. Section B-GRAMMAR & WRITING has 12 questions. Attempt a total of 10 questions, as per specific instructions
for each question.
4. Section C-LITERATURE has 30 questions. Attempt 26 questions, as per specific instructions for each question.
5. All questions carry equal marks.
6. There is no negative marking.

READING Based on your understanding of the passage, answer

any eight out of the ten questions by choosing the
I. Read the passage given below. correct option.
I. Krishna has sold red onions at a market in south Delhi
every day for the past half-century. Perched on an 1.
upturned create, wrapped tight against the chill air,
he offers pyaz, a staple for much Indian cooking, for 60
rupees a kilo, the most he can remember. Business is
brisk but most customers pick up only a small handful
of onions. That is just as well. Wholesale supplies are
tight, he says, and the quality is poor.
II. As India’s economy grows by some 9% a year, food
prices are soaring. In late December, the commerce
ministry judged that food inflation had reached
18.3%, with pricey vegetables mostly to blame. 2.
Officials have made some attempts to temper the
rise in the past month scrapping import taxes for
onions, banning their export and ordering low-
priced sales at government-run shops. But there is
no quick fix.
III. Heavy rain in the west of India brought a rotten
harvest. Vegetables from farther afield including a
politically sensitive delivery from a neighbouring
country are costly to move on India’s crowded, pot-
holed roads. Few refrigerated lorries and poor logistics
mean that much of each harvest is wasted. Newspapers
3.
allege hoarders are cashing in.
IV. The biggest problems are structural. Food producers,
hampered by land restrictions, archaic retail networks
and bad infrastructure, fail to meet extra demand
from consumers. It was estimated in October that a
39% rise in income per person in the previous five
years might have created an extra 220 million regular
consumers of milk, eggs, meat and fish. Supplies have
4.
not kept up with this potential demand.
V. The broader inflation rate may be a less eye-watering
problem than the onions suggest. The central bank
has lifted interest rates steadily in the past year and
is expected to do so again later this month. Headline
inflation fell to 7.5% in November, down by just over a
percentage point from October, though it is still above
the central bank’s forecast of 5.5% for March.
What is responsible for the increased demand of
certain food items amongst consumers?
(a) There has been an increase in the wholesale
supplies of this food stuff.
(b) The vegetables in the market are very highly priced.
(c) There has been an increase in the incomes of
people.
(d) There is a lack of availability of vegetables in the
market.
Which of the following is not true in the context of
the passage?
(a) The overall inflation is not as bad as the food
inflation in India.
(b) Help from other countries to counter food inflation
has proved to be quite encouraging.
(c) Government is banning the export of certain types
of vegetables in order to check food inflation.
(d) Highly priced vegetables are mostly responsible
for the increased food inflation.
Which of the following is/are the reason(s) for increase
in food/vegetable prices?
A. Bad weather
B. Land restrictions
C. Poor infrastructure for storage and transportation
(a) Only B (b) Only A and C
(c) Only A and B (d) All A, B and C
Which of the following is/are true in the context of
the passage?
A. Interest rates are being raised in India.
B. India is witnessing a steady economic growth.
C. It has been proven that the food inflation is
mainly because of hoarding.
(a) All A, B and C (b) Only A and B
(c) Only C (d) None of these

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English X Sample Paper 20 Term 1 www.cbse.online
5. Which of the following is possibly the most appropriate Shocking Ocean Pollution Statistics:
title for the passage? • 100 melon marine animals die each year from plastic waste
(a) Food Inflation In India alone.
(b) Onions And Vendors • 100000 marine animal die from getting entangled in plastic
yearly - this is just the creatures we find.
(c) Food Deficit Worldwide
• 1 in 3 marine mammal species get found entangled in litter, 12-
(d) Food Imports In India 14000 tons of plastic are ingested by North Pacific fish yearly.
• In the past 10 years, we’ve made more plastic than the last
6. What can be said about the sale of onions at present century. By 2050, the pollution of fish will be outnumbered
by our dumped plastic.
as given in the passage?
• The largest trash site on the planet is the Great Pacific
(a) Vegetable vendors are unwilling to sell onions. Garbage Patch, twice the surface area of Texas, it
(b) People are not buying as much as they used to. outnumbers sea life there 6 to 1.
(c) The sale of onions has picked up and is • Chine is ranked #1 for mismanaged waste and plastics.
unprecedented. However, the US is in the top 20 with a more significant
waste per person contributions.
(d) None of these • 300 Million tons of plastic gets created yearly, and this
weighs the same as the entire human population, and 50%
7. The usage of the phrase ‘cashing in’ in the passage can is single-use only.
• There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic waster estimated to
possibly mean
be in our oceans. 269000 tons float, 4 billion microfibers per
(a) Profiting km2 dwell below the surface.
(b) Running away • 70% of our debris sinks into the ocean’s ecosystem, 15%
(c) Paying money floats and 15% lands on our beaches.
• In terms of plastic, 8.3 million tons are discarded in the sea
(d) Bailing out
yearly. Of which, 236000 are ingestible microplastics that
marine creatures mistake for food.
8. Which of the following is most similar in meaning to • Plastics take 500-1000 years to degrade; currently 79% is
the word ‘tight’ as used in the passage? send to lands or the oceans, while only 9% is recycled, and
(a) Firm 12% gets incinerated.
• 1950-1998 over 100 nuclear blast tests occurred in our oceans.
(b) Loose • 500 marine locations are now recorded as dead zones
(c) Limited globally, currently the size of the United Kingdom’s surface
(d) Taut (245000 km2)
• 80% of global marine pollution comes from agriculture runoff,
untreated sewage, discharge of nutrients and pesticides.
9. Which of the following is most similar in meaning to • 90% of the worldwide ocean debris comes from 10 rivers alone.
the word ‘temper’ as used in the passage?
III. Almost 1,000 species of marine animals get impacted
(a) Displeasure
by ocean pollution, and we now have over 500
(b) Anger locations recorded as dead zones where marine life
(c) Rage cannot exist. How did this happen, what is causing
(d) Control the most damage, find out everything above in the
marine pollution statistics round-up.
IV. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a floating island
10. Which of the following is most opposite in meaning of
of debris, accumulated in the North Pacific Ocean by
the word ‘archaic’ as used in the passage?
an extensive system of currents called gyres. It is built
(a) Simple
up from two other waste patches, the western garbage
(b) Straightforward patch near Japan and the eastern garbage patch near
(c) Modern America’s west coast near California and Hawaii.
(d) Lively V. The North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone
links the east and western garbage patches, acting as
a highway for waste to move from one to the other.
II. Read the passage given below.
Because of this, a small item of debris dropped
I. The ocean is one of the most unexplored parts of our
near California can travel across to Japan, then
planet, with a magnitude of undiscovered species and
eventually get sucked up by these swirling garbage
mysteries. It turns out from the studies conducted over
patch vortexes.
the last few decades, this magnificent environment is
VI. The great pacific garbage patch size is quite shocking.
under serious threat from human intervention, with
These patches of trash are said to be twice the
plastics set to outnumber fish by 2050.
size of Texas and float on the surface but do drop
II. Marine life, as we know it, is suffering irreparable several meters into the ocean in places, which makes
damage from the chemical pollution of the waters the correct size challenging to measure. The world’s
and the millions of tons of mismanaged waste largest garbage site is mainly made up of microplastics
dumped in the oceans each year. The result is a creating a vast cloud, with newer items of debris that
planetary crisis with over 100 million marine haven’t broken down as much floating around like
animal’s lives get lost every year, and the decay of chunks in a soup. The great pacific garbage patch
the ocean’s ecosystem. effects on marine life are extremely significant.

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English X Sample Paper 20 Term 1 www.cbse.online

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer GRAMMAR & WRITING

any six out of the eight questions by choosing the GRAMMAR
correct option.
III. Answer any five out of six questions by selecting the
11. According to the passage, what is set to outnumber most appropriate option for each.
the fish in the ocean by the year 2050? 19. Which one of the following sentences shows a correct
(a) pollution use of Article
(b) garbage (a) Here is a red shirt which Seema gave me yesterday.
(c) plastics (b) Here is the red shirt which Seema gave me yesterday.
(d) human waste (c) Here is red shirt which Seema gave me yesterday.
(d) None of these
12. Marine life is suffering from irreparable damage
because of : 20. The teacher said to Hari, “you _____ go where you
I. the chemical pollution of the waters. like.”
II. the rising global warming which is increasing the (a) may (b) can
death rate of the ocean ecosystems. (c) shall (d) should
III. the millions of tons of mismanaged waste dumped
in the oceans each year. 21. Select the option that replaces the given sentence or
(a) I and II its part correctly.
(b) II and III Slow and steady win the race.
(c) I and III (a) Slowly and steady wins the race.
(d) I, II and III (b) Slow and steadily wins the race.
(c) Slow and steady wins the race.
13. _____ locations are recorded as dead zones where (d) None of these
marine life cannot exist.
22. Mr. Sinha helped us more than he _____ his own
(a) 200 (b) 350
students.
(c) 500 (d) 700 (a) helped (b) has helped
14. The largest trash site on the planet, the Great Pacific (c) helps (d) is helping
Garbage Patch, is twice the size of which city? 23. The new student asked the old one, “Do you know my
(a) Arizona (b) Florida name ?”
(c) Colorado (d) Texas (a) The new student asked the old one if he knew his
name.
15. Which country is ranked number one for mismanaged
waste and plastics? (b) The new student asked the old one that whether
(a) Germany (b) China he knew his name.
(c) The new student asked the old one did he know
(c) USA (d) India
his name.
(d) The new student asked the old one if he knows his
16. Which of the following statements is not true in the name.
context of the passage?
(a) 90% of the worldwide ocean debris comes from 10 24. David said to Anna, “Mona will leave for her native
rivers alone. place tomorrow.”
(b) 700 marine locations are now recorded as dead (a) David told Anna that Mona will leave for her
zones globally. native place tomorrow.
(b) David told Anna that Mona left for her native
(c) 70% of our debris sinks into the ocean’s ecosystem,
place the next day.
15% floats, and 15 % lands on our beaches.
(c) David told to Anna that Mona would be leaving
(d) 100 million marine animals die each year from
for her native place tomorrow.
plastic waste alone.
(d) David told Anna that Mona would leave for her
native place the next day.
17. An extensive system of currents in the North Pacific
Ocean is called _____. WRITING
(a) debris (b) vortex IV. Answer any five out of the six questions by selecting
(c) convergence (d) gyres the most appropriate option for each.
25. What is the difference between a letter of request and
18. A small item of debris dropped near California can a complaint letter?
travel across to Japan because of (a) You must be more polite for a letter of request.
(a) the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone (b) You can make spelling mistakes for a complaint
(b) the Great Pacific Garbage Patch letter.
(c) the gyres (c) You do not have to edit a complaint letter.
(d) the vortexes (d) You need to provide more facts for a complaint
letter to convince the reader.
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26. In your opinion, what does a complaint letter not do 33. Why was Lencho’s soul filled with sadness?
for you? (a) locust had destroyed cornfields
(a) Exchange your item (b) it did not rain
(b) Get someone fired (c) hail storm destroyed cornfields
(c) Get a form of compensation (voucher) (d) his children did not obey him
(d) Get you a refund 34. What do these words mean- “a plague of locusts would
27. Which one of the options would get a reader to take have left more than this”
your complaint seriously? (a) hailstones destroyed the crops more than the
plague of locusts
(a) When you say that you are sorry.
(b) Vivid (clear) descriptions of what happened. (b) locust would have spared their field on request
(c) When you show that you are on their side. (c) locusts had eaten partial crop
(d) When your accusations are personal. (d) locusts are less dangerous
28. Why do we need to write complaint letters? 35. What was Lencho’s last hope?
(a) To provide feedback and see improvements. (a) God would help him
(b) To show that we sometimes can be wrong. (b) his relatives would help him
(c) To show our care and concern. (c) they will work hard again
(d) To show that we are always in the right. (d) they had a huge stock of grain
29. We write complaint letters in order to _____. VI. Read the given extract to attempt the questions that
(a) state our displeasure follow:
But on Wednesday, Peggy and Maddie, who sat down
(b) vent our frustrations and feel better
front with other children who got good marks and
(c) calm ourselves down who didn’t track in a whole lot of mud, did notice that
(d) change a situation for the better Wanda wasn’t there. Peggy was the most popular girl in
30. Suresh is annoyed by the daily traffic jam in his area school. She was pretty, she had many pretty clothes and
that happen due to a hospital placed there. He wants her hair was curly. Maddie was her closest friend. The
to write an official complaint letter for the same. Who reason Peggy and Maddie noticed Wanda’s absence was
would he writes the letter to? because Wanda had made them late to school. They had
(a) Commissioner of Police (traffic) waited and waited for Wanda, to have some fun with
(b) Police constable her, and she just hadn’t come. They often waited for
Wanda Petronski - to have fun with her.
(c) School principal
(d) The editor of a newspaper (The Hundred Dresses I)
36. The names of Wanda’s classmates are:
(a) Peggy and Klerk (b) Maddie and John
LITERATURE
(c) John and Kierk (d) Peggy and Maddie
This section has sub-sections - V, VI, VII, VIII & IX.
37. Peggy and Maddie sat in front seats with children
There are a total of 30 questions in this section. Attempt
who:
any 26 questions from the sub-sections V to IX.
(a) got less marks (b) got a few marks
V. Read the given extract to attempt the questions that (c) got good marks (d) got negative marks
follow:
Not a leaf remained on the trees. The corn was totally 38. Maddie was her closest friend. ‘Her’ here refers to:
destroyed. The flowers were gone from the plants. (a) Klerk (b) Peggy
Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness. When the storm (c) C.N. (d) Jacques
had passed, he stood in the middle of the field and
39. Peggy and Maddie got late to the school because:
said to his sons, “A plague of locusts would have left
more than this. The hail has left nothing”. (a) they had been waiting for Wanda
(A Letter To God) (b) they had been loitering
31. What happened to the crop when the storm had
(c) they had been talking on road
passed? (d) they had been late
(a) It blossomed 40. The antonym of ‘pretty’ is:
(b) It remained as it was (a) beautiful (b) gentle
(c) It grew to produce more seeds (c) smart (d) ugly
(d) The corn was totally destroyed
VII.Read the given extract to attempt the questions that
32. What was the status of leaves after the storm? follow:
(a) They turned green He hears the last voice at night,
The patrolling cars,
(b) They turned pale
And stares with his brilliant eyes
(c) They were detached from the trees At the brilliant stars.
(d) They dried up
(A Tiger In The Zoo)
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English X Sample Paper 20 Term 1 www.cbse.online
41. What does the tiger hear at night? IX. Attempt the following.
(a) Noise of People
51. What comes more naturally to heart according to
(b) Noise of Patrolling cars
Mandela?
(c) Noise of other animals (a) hatred (b) unity
(d) No noise (c) love (d) racial discrimination
42. What does the word ‘Patrolling’ mean?
52. What was the purpose behind calling Paris Control?
(a) Looking down (b) Watching over
(a) To know about air traffic
(c) Counting on (d) None of these
(b) To know the direction of the route
43. What does the tiger stare at? (c) To know the details about landing
(a) Brilliant people (b) Brilliant celebrities (d) None of these
(c) Brilliant visitors (d) Brilliant stars
53. Mr. Keesing had assigned to Anne the task of:
44. Which literary device has been used in the given (a) drawing a scene
extract? (b) collecting stamps
(a) Assonance (c) painting a glass
(b) Metonymy (d) writing an essay
(c) Metaphor
54. Who felt herself coward after Wanda left the school?
(d) Enjambment/Personification (a) Peggy (b) Maddie
45. How do the eyes of the tiger look? (c) Miss Petronski (d) Miss Mason
(a) Sad (b) brilliant
55. By the end of the poem “Dust of Snow”, the poet’s
(c) dark (d) Light mood changed from
VIII.Read the given extract to attempt the questions that (a) sad mood to angry mood
follow: (b) happy mood toto sad mood.
I walked through the house into the garden. A mass (c) sad mood to happy mood
of dogs was hurtling round and round the lawn and in (d) angry mood to sad mood
their midst, ears flapping, tail waving, was the little
56. Name the poetic device used in the following line from
golden figure of Tricki. In two weeks he had been
the poem “Fire and Ice”
transformed into a lithe, hard muscled animal; he was
Some say the world will end in fire
keeping up well with the pack, stretching out in great
(a) Metaphor (b) Imagery
bounds, his chest almost brushing the ground.
(c) Alliteration (d) Oxymoron
(A Triumph Of Surgery)
57. According to the poem “The Ball Poem”, what does
46. What does the word ‘Midst’ mean? a ball cost?
(a) In the comer of (b) In the side of (a) 5 dimes (b) 10 dimes
(c) In front of (d) In the middle of (c) 1 dime (d) 4 dimes
47. In _____ weeks Tricki had been transformed into a 58. Tricki falls ill because
lithe, hard muscled animal.
(a) he met an accident
(a) two (b) three
(b) of bad weather
(c) four (d) five
(c) he did not get proper food to eat
48. What made Tricki a lithe and hard-muscled? (d) his mistress overfed him
(a) His overeating
59. How was the meal Hari cooked first night?
(b) His overeating with bone-breaking exercise (a) delicious
(c) His balanced eating with exercise (b) mouth-watering
(d) His staying with Mrs. Pumphrey (c) finger-licking good
49. What has been referred to ‘The Pack’ in this extract?
(d) terrible
(a) Group of rats 60. Where was the theatrical company shop situated?
(b) Group of cats (a) Dury lane
(c) Group of dogs (b) Drury lane
(d) Group of wolves (c) Druy lane
(d) Druri Lane
50. What does the phrasal verb ‘Keeping up well’ mean?
(a) Getting along well
(b) Having a tussle with WWW.CBSE.ONLINE

(c) Showing enmity to others

(d) None of these

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